The more I read about things that he is said, the more I dislike him. I need to remind people that I don't like Obama and didn't like the Bush's or Clinton. I don't trust any of them. At least the others lied, that is better than this guy. He flat out says that he doesn't represent the poor and that the Republican party is a party of people who want to be rich. He doesn't seem to thing about people are Republicans because of the other values that the party holds.
People who read this blog might assume that I am am anti-Republican, I am not. I am also not anti-Democrat. I am a moderate extremist. I believe in doing the right thing for the right reason. I was also a registered Republican and voted for Reagan.
Here is my question, why is anyone voting for him. There were other candidates that at least said they cared about everyone. Mr. Romney only cares about one thing and his business life proved it, he believes in getting as much personal benefit as possible. He said it, didn't he. The people he supports are people like him and he specialized in outsourcing jobs to other countries. He believes in every man for himself and do anything to come out on top. I cannot believe that all of his supporters feel the same way. It is the most anti-American thinking I can conceive of. Are we no longer a nation, do we no longer support our community and each other?
I am Libertarian in regards to personal freedom; however, I am against them when it comes to leaving my brother to fend for himself should he join after the game has begun. You were born rich or poor and don't tell me it didn't effect your odds in life. If you tell me that is just the way life is, then I will say okay, so lets make sure that ones on the bottom are at least okay.
Mr. Romney has appealed to the lowest common denominator, selfishness and he won lots of elections based on it. When did even the conservatives stop thinking about country before self? I have no respect for the man. Mr. Romney is not an American, he is a Romnian and we shouldn't vote for such people. This is not an endorsement of anyone, I am not voting because they are all the same. They are all bad.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Three Articles on Government Employees
The first article is about how the Congress is putting forth a bill that would allow them to fire federal employees that are behind on their taxes. Yea, yea, everybody cheer about getting those bad federal employees. I want my readers to take a moment and think about this rather than just react. Lets put this in perspective.
Firstly, the congress is more than happy to allow insider trading by congressmen and it is not illegal for them to do it. Secondly, most congressmen make their money from their investments and are not taxed at the same rate as people who make their money from their wages. Finally, there are a lot of reasons that people are behind on their taxes, especially if they are self employed. Finally, if they work for the federal government then the government should be taking the money out in advance of the employee being paid, just like they do for everyone else (and they deduct federal taxes from federal workers the exact same way). We should also remember, as I previously wrote about, that the federal government has also passed a law that allows them to cancel or suspend your passport if you are behind on your taxes.
AP - House bill: Fire US workers who are tax deadbeats
This one is just ridiculous. The L.A. Times reported that LA City Hall employees were streaming the Olympics and it was causing their computer system to slow down. This article was picked up internationally. Really? Personally, I have not watched the Olympics except for the opening ceremony, I don't watch television as a rule. But, lets be serious, how many people in the world are watching parts of the Olympics at work? I would not freak out if I found out that one of my employees had watched a swim race or something that was special to them, I would just expect them to make sure they completed their work for the day. In either case, does this really deserve to be international news? I file this one under over-reacting and exaggeration in order to impact ongoing negotiations with unions.
What the article didn't say was which departments they were in. I wonder how many of the people streaming it had desk jobs? I would guess all of them. The guy picking up your trash cannot watch the internet in his garbage truck. I wonder many of the people streaming the internet were in Council Offices or the Mayor's Office, they tend to have more control over their time.
L.A. Times - L.A. City Hall employees urged to stop watching Olympics at work
Finally, an article on the Post Office. I have written on the post office a few times; but, want to re-raise some issues. The post office is not technically a governmental agency anymore. It has also managed to survive with no government subsidy since being set on it's own. What changed was that the Postal Service is now being asked to fund employee benefits in advance of them being used. This is really nothing more than an attempt to benefit Wall Street and privatize the Post Office. The point people miss is that if they privatize the Postal Service then your mail will cease being private, it is not constitutionally protected as private with UPS.
It is not that the Post Office lost money, in fact, the Post Office has been amazing at finding ways to survive in a world of e-mail. They changed their business model and made it work. Nope, they are being asked to fund retirement benefits 10, 20 and 30 years before they might come due.
Time - Moneyland - Post Office to Default on $5.5 Billion Pre-Retiree Health Payment
Firstly, the congress is more than happy to allow insider trading by congressmen and it is not illegal for them to do it. Secondly, most congressmen make their money from their investments and are not taxed at the same rate as people who make their money from their wages. Finally, there are a lot of reasons that people are behind on their taxes, especially if they are self employed. Finally, if they work for the federal government then the government should be taking the money out in advance of the employee being paid, just like they do for everyone else (and they deduct federal taxes from federal workers the exact same way). We should also remember, as I previously wrote about, that the federal government has also passed a law that allows them to cancel or suspend your passport if you are behind on your taxes.
AP - House bill: Fire US workers who are tax deadbeats
This one is just ridiculous. The L.A. Times reported that LA City Hall employees were streaming the Olympics and it was causing their computer system to slow down. This article was picked up internationally. Really? Personally, I have not watched the Olympics except for the opening ceremony, I don't watch television as a rule. But, lets be serious, how many people in the world are watching parts of the Olympics at work? I would not freak out if I found out that one of my employees had watched a swim race or something that was special to them, I would just expect them to make sure they completed their work for the day. In either case, does this really deserve to be international news? I file this one under over-reacting and exaggeration in order to impact ongoing negotiations with unions.
What the article didn't say was which departments they were in. I wonder how many of the people streaming it had desk jobs? I would guess all of them. The guy picking up your trash cannot watch the internet in his garbage truck. I wonder many of the people streaming the internet were in Council Offices or the Mayor's Office, they tend to have more control over their time.
L.A. Times - L.A. City Hall employees urged to stop watching Olympics at work
Finally, an article on the Post Office. I have written on the post office a few times; but, want to re-raise some issues. The post office is not technically a governmental agency anymore. It has also managed to survive with no government subsidy since being set on it's own. What changed was that the Postal Service is now being asked to fund employee benefits in advance of them being used. This is really nothing more than an attempt to benefit Wall Street and privatize the Post Office. The point people miss is that if they privatize the Postal Service then your mail will cease being private, it is not constitutionally protected as private with UPS.
It is not that the Post Office lost money, in fact, the Post Office has been amazing at finding ways to survive in a world of e-mail. They changed their business model and made it work. Nope, they are being asked to fund retirement benefits 10, 20 and 30 years before they might come due.
Time - Moneyland - Post Office to Default on $5.5 Billion Pre-Retiree Health Payment
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Investigation of the Municipal Bond Market
As if we have not seen enough corruption in the financial system, there is a new investigation going on into municipal bonds. Basically, municipalities (local governments) issue bonds that are bought by investors in order to pay now for certain programs (like building libraries). The bonds are then paid off overtime just like a mortgage would be. The problem seems to be that there is very little auditing done of what the Cities claim. The issue explodes when a city defaults on it's debt.
New York Times - S.E.C. Suggests Reforms Of Municipal Bond Market
The general scope is over 3.7 trillion dollars. Lots of private investors like to buy municipal bonds because they have traditionally been seen as safe; however, there is the very real likelihood that cities have not been totally honest about their fiscal security. I seem to recall that recently some city in California was called to task for not giving accurate information in regards to their bond issuance.
If it turns out that the municipal bond system is rigged, things are going to get very interesting and cities will be unable to take on large projects that require bonding. This financial stuff is supposed to be boring; but, it just keeps getting more interesting in a bad way.
New York Times - S.E.C. Suggests Reforms Of Municipal Bond Market
The general scope is over 3.7 trillion dollars. Lots of private investors like to buy municipal bonds because they have traditionally been seen as safe; however, there is the very real likelihood that cities have not been totally honest about their fiscal security. I seem to recall that recently some city in California was called to task for not giving accurate information in regards to their bond issuance.
If it turns out that the municipal bond system is rigged, things are going to get very interesting and cities will be unable to take on large projects that require bonding. This financial stuff is supposed to be boring; but, it just keeps getting more interesting in a bad way.
Iris I didn't have to wait in line
A couple of articles on biometrics and you. The first article has to do with travel, if you provide your drivers license and your passport to the airport, they will scan your iris and provide you with a new form of "secure" ID. With this new ID you will now be allowed to go to the front of the security lines.
CBS - DFW - Local - Iris Scan = Shorter Wait In Airport Security Line
The next article is about how a team of researches has been able to trick the iris scanners.
MSN - Your iris may soon be the target of identity thieves
In Arizona, police are now using Iris Scans to retrieve a persons criminal record.
Tucson News Now - Pinal County deputies use smartphone for crime fighting
On a side note, Apple has just bought a company that specializes in fingerprint identification. My father wanted to do this 40 years ago, I think he was ahead of the curve.
PCWorld - What Apple's Acquisition of AuthenTec Means
I think we are starting to see a trend here and it is one that I have been writing about for years. In order to use your cell phone or the internet, you are going to eventually have to have your biometrics scanned and verified to be you and your phone is going to be how you pay for things, at least for awhile.
In the future you will not be able to travel without your identification being verified.
Khaleej Times - Two jailed for trying to cheat in iris scan
CBS - DFW - Local - Iris Scan = Shorter Wait In Airport Security Line
The next article is about how a team of researches has been able to trick the iris scanners.
MSN - Your iris may soon be the target of identity thieves
In Arizona, police are now using Iris Scans to retrieve a persons criminal record.
Tucson News Now - Pinal County deputies use smartphone for crime fighting
On a side note, Apple has just bought a company that specializes in fingerprint identification. My father wanted to do this 40 years ago, I think he was ahead of the curve.
PCWorld - What Apple's Acquisition of AuthenTec Means
I think we are starting to see a trend here and it is one that I have been writing about for years. In order to use your cell phone or the internet, you are going to eventually have to have your biometrics scanned and verified to be you and your phone is going to be how you pay for things, at least for awhile.
In the future you will not be able to travel without your identification being verified.
Khaleej Times - Two jailed for trying to cheat in iris scan
Monday, July 30, 2012
Electronic Payment in the News
Sorry for not having much to say recently. It has been a very strange and busy last few weeks. This too shall be a rather short post.
Bloomberg - AT&T-Verizon-T Mobile Sets $100 Million for Google Fight: Tech
Bloomberg - AT&T-Verizon-T Mobile Sets $100 Million for Google Fight: Tech
Friday, July 27, 2012
A Rambling Day
It has been a very strange day or maybe it just started oddly and kept the feeling. When I got into the office this morning the first thing I was told was that a very lovely lady, whom I had just met had passed on. Last Sunday she came to our church to sing, she had not performed in public for awhile. She was fantastic and just as nice and charming as possible. She was going to come back and sing again and she passed away this morning in her sleep, from what I have been told.
The news just sort of left me dumb. I had only just met her, she seemed so cheerful and now she is gone. During the course of my day many people told me about her (she worked int he same building as me). It seems she made a lot of people's days better. I regret that I did not have the opportunity to know her better; but, I did get to see her last performance and that was an honor.
Work was the same old nonsense. I came home, read the news and watched the Olympic opening ceremonies. Not quite sure what to say about that. It seemed odd. They went over famous British writers of children's books. They left out Jane Austen and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They didn't talk about Dickens or Shakespeare. Huh? They played tribute to a lot of musicians; but, left out ELO and Herman and the Hermits. They paid tribute to movies and left out "To Sir With Love" which I believe was filmed where the Olympics are being held, on the East End. When the British Olympians entered the arena the queen was caught picking her nails and not paying attention. You would think she would know better.
I found the imagery odd and confusing. I didn't think it gave me a feeling of England. I am sure that it was very impressive inside the stadium. It just didn't do much for me and I don't even watch television.
I am left to read, watch videos and ponder how I might like to spend tomorrow. Perhaps I will lounge around and watch the Olympics, I was a gymnast and always enjoy watching that. Of course, having been a gymnast, I consider that sport to be the most balanced and beneficial to the overall body. I don't believe there is any female figure as attractive as that of a gymnasts; but, then the love of my life was also a gymnast. Still, I think it.
Well, I have nothing really to say so I shall go back to watching videos and reading. I hope you have a nice weekend.
The news just sort of left me dumb. I had only just met her, she seemed so cheerful and now she is gone. During the course of my day many people told me about her (she worked int he same building as me). It seems she made a lot of people's days better. I regret that I did not have the opportunity to know her better; but, I did get to see her last performance and that was an honor.
Work was the same old nonsense. I came home, read the news and watched the Olympic opening ceremonies. Not quite sure what to say about that. It seemed odd. They went over famous British writers of children's books. They left out Jane Austen and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They didn't talk about Dickens or Shakespeare. Huh? They played tribute to a lot of musicians; but, left out ELO and Herman and the Hermits. They paid tribute to movies and left out "To Sir With Love" which I believe was filmed where the Olympics are being held, on the East End. When the British Olympians entered the arena the queen was caught picking her nails and not paying attention. You would think she would know better.
I found the imagery odd and confusing. I didn't think it gave me a feeling of England. I am sure that it was very impressive inside the stadium. It just didn't do much for me and I don't even watch television.
I am left to read, watch videos and ponder how I might like to spend tomorrow. Perhaps I will lounge around and watch the Olympics, I was a gymnast and always enjoy watching that. Of course, having been a gymnast, I consider that sport to be the most balanced and beneficial to the overall body. I don't believe there is any female figure as attractive as that of a gymnasts; but, then the love of my life was also a gymnast. Still, I think it.
Well, I have nothing really to say so I shall go back to watching videos and reading. I hope you have a nice weekend.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
What About Those One in a Million Events
The odds of things are fascinating. The odds of getting struck by lightening are like one in 250,000. The odds of getting hit twice, those get really weird and I know of one person who was struck four times. Those odds are so large that we cannot even begin to calculate them. Now, If you have one such occasion it still falls within the realm of possibility. It is possible to have one even that exceeds all probabilities, it is called an outlier. What happens when more and more outliers occur? That is when you have to question your basic assumptions. A nice article to read.
Yahoo News - The Lookout - Colorado shooting victim’s brain condition helped her survive, pastor says
Now here is the question. If I can show that there are more outliers than there should be using any calculation, would you consider that the outliers may actually require you to reconsider your basic beliefs and if so, by what criteria might you reconsider it.
Yahoo News - The Lookout - Colorado shooting victim’s brain condition helped her survive, pastor says
Now here is the question. If I can show that there are more outliers than there should be using any calculation, would you consider that the outliers may actually require you to reconsider your basic beliefs and if so, by what criteria might you reconsider it.
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